IDEI Ch1

“He’s about to go on stage, and yet Qi Yanning is sleeping in the dressing room?”

“He can’t go on stage anyway, no wonder he’s given up!”

“And why would he care? The guy’s got the director on his side.”

“He’s not like us, with no backing. No wonder he’s terrible at both singing and dancing yet still made it into the popularity rankings. Who knows what he’s been doing behind the scenes?!”

“Too bad, though. Even cozying up to the director didn’t help—he’s been disqualified, hasn’t he?”

“Serves him right for using dirty tricks and still ending up like this!”

So noisy. A group of men chattering sarcastically was louder than the Emperor Jingde’s harem.

Qi Yanning frowned in annoyance.

His mind was in a fog, and he couldn’t understand what they were saying. But the last person who dared disturb his sleep was now wasting away in some remote corner of the palace, waiting to die.

“Everyone, be quiet!” Another male voice rang out, clear but filled with obvious insincerity.

This person clearly had some influence, as the crowd fell silent.

“Don’t speak ill of Qi Yanning. He’s already been forced to quit because of public opinion. Let’s not rub salt in the wound.”

The fake-concerned voice sounded, pretending to care, but in Qi Yanning’s ears, the barely-concealed smugness was almost impossible to miss.

“Qi Yanning, wake up!” The clear voice came closer, and a hand reached out, trying to shake Qi Yanning awake.

Though Qi Yanning wasn’t fully conscious, he instinctively grabbed the hand that approached and twisted it sharply—

“Ah! Let go! It hurts, it hurts!!” A panicked, pained scream erupted.

Chaos erupted around them.

“Qi Yanning, why are you hurting people?!”

“Exactly! You quit, but A-Heng still has to go on stage!”

…

The commotion finally snapped Qi Yanning into full awareness. He opened his eyes to an unfamiliar setting, surrounded by unfamiliar people.

It was a small room, with mirrors everywhere reflecting every detail of a person. In front of the mirrors were numerous dazzling lights, making the room unbearably bright.

A flood of memories surged into his mind, making Qi Yanning’s head throb. He frowned, irritation creeping in due to the pain.

The memories were quickly processed.

Oh, he was dead.

Qi Yanning narrowed his eyes as the thought crossed his mind.

He wondered how the Emperor Jingde’s grand birthday banquet ended after he took that knife for him. An assassin appearing at such a grand event would have enraged the emperor, and the court of Yongchao would surely fall into turmoil for some time.

But none of that concerned the current Qi Yanning anymore.

He was now merely an “idol” participating in a talent show. He had already gained a bad reputation for lacking talent, and then photos surfaced of him entering and leaving the director’s room, causing a media frenzy. Speculation and malice flooded the internet.

He was boycotted by everyone online and forced to quit the show. The night before his scheduled performance, the director removed him from the show, citing damage to the show’s reputation.

Facing his groupmates’ angry words and the strange looks from others, the original Qi Yanning had no way to defend himself. Just as he was trying to secure one last chance to perform, the staff’s mocking words became the final straw.

Unable to bear the immense pressure, the original Qi Yanning died from heart failure.

Qi Yanning narrowed his eyes.

The original Qi Yanning was too naïve to realize it was all a setup. He only grew angry. But as the head chamberlain, Qi Yanning had survived the bloody power struggles of court transitions. He didn’t need to think hard to know that the one who had orchestrated all this was the man in front of him, now clutching his arm and wailing—his fake friend.

The original had always believed that this so-called A-Heng was his only friend on the show…

How laughably naïve.

“You injured someone, and you’re not even apologizing? I guess orphans just have no manners!”

The yellow-haired man standing next to A-Heng shouted indignantly, furious on his behalf.

“I don’t like people getting close to me,” Qi Yanning said, raising an eyebrow. “A-Heng, as my best friend, you should know that, right?”

A-Heng, who was sweating from the pain, froze and looked up.

He met Qi Yanning’s sharp, mocking gaze head-on.

That look made A-Heng’s heart skip a beat. He was used to Qi Yanning’s cold exterior, but his eyes had always been soft, like a newborn lamb. Yet now, Qi Yanning was smiling, his eyes lively, but with a sharpness he had never seen before, as if he could see straight through his vile nature.

Cold sweat poured from A-Heng, his mind spiraling into a whirlwind of paranoid thoughts.

Does Qi Yanning know it was me who set up the director’s room scandal? Or does he know I was the one who leaked those embarrassing photos and videos?

Panic overwhelmed him, and he wanted nothing more than to leave the room.

“Let’s go, it’s time to wait backstage,” A-Heng said to the people around him.

The yellow-haired man protested, “Heng-ge, but Qi Yanning hasn’t apologized yet! Wasn’t it about the director—”

“Mo He!” A-Heng shrieked sharply, startling everyone around them.

They looked at A-Heng with shock and confusion in their eyes.

“Mo He, stop talking.” A-Heng forced himself to speak, his tone barely masking his distress. “There’s no solid proof yet. We shouldn’t say such things about him…”

“But Heng-ge, didn’t you say—” Mo He asked, puzzled.

“Mo He, just say less!” A-Heng whispered harshly in Mo He’s ear, his tone full of warning.

With that, A-Heng dragged Mo He away, ignoring his grumbling.

“Luo Heng.” Qi Yanning called out.

A-Heng, or rather Luo Heng, froze in his tracks, turning his head slightly. The others had already headed towards the backstage area, and the makeup artists had followed, leaving the dressing room empty, save for the three of them.

Qi Yanning’s steps were slow and deliberate, echoing throughout the now-silent room with a soft tap, tap.

The sound was light, but to Luo Heng, it felt like it was stomping directly on his heart.

He knew the director had heavily favored Qi Yanning for the show’s ratings. Without the scandal, Qi Yanning would have been fast-tracked to the final round.

But he had intervened, cutting off Qi Yanning’s future. The director had thrown Qi Yanning under the bus to protect the show’s reputation.

If the director ever found out that Luo Heng was behind the plot, he shuddered to think what kind of quiet revenge a man as ruthless and volatile as that director might take—even with his backing from the investors.

Qi Yanning’s hand lightly rested on Luo Heng’s shoulder, and Luo Heng’s body trembled.

“With such a timid nature, you really shouldn’t be doing bad things,” Qi Yanning said, his voice calm and languid. “Careful you don’t end up scaring yourself. Isn’t that right, A-Heng?”

Luo Heng’s breath caught in his throat.

So he really does know!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Luo Heng forced a smile and said.

After that, he dragged the confused Mo He and hurriedly left.

The door to the makeup room closed with a heavy thud.

Qi Yanning pulled over a chair and casually sat down. The original owner’s memories were somewhat chaotic; he needed to carefully organize them so he could figure out what to do next.

He closed his eyes, deep in thought.

Unexpectedly, the door to the makeup room suddenly opened, revealing a cautious figure peeking through the crack.

“A-Ning, you…”

Qi Yanning was interrupted and abruptly opened his eyes, looking impatiently at the person who had come in.

The person flinched in fear but then stuck his head in further.

“A-Ning, are you okay?” The curly-haired boy cautiously stepped into the makeup room. “Um… don’t be sad; everything will be alright.”

His words of comfort were dry, and his big, bright eyes held a hint of careful concern.

Qi Yanning thought for a moment.

Oh, this was the original owner’s roommate on the show, named Pei Huan. This kid had a kind heart but wasn’t very skilled, so he desperately wanted to stay close to the original owner. However, the original owner had put all his trust in Luo Heng, following him around like everyone else, and treated Pei Huan rather coldly.

Unexpectedly, when the original owner fell from grace, the so-called friends around him all kicked him while he was down. Only this boy, whom the original owner hadn’t even considered a friend, offered him a word of comfort.

“I’m fine,” Qi Yanning said, slightly lifting the corners of his mouth.

“Oh, that’s… good.” Pei Huan clearly didn’t believe him, sneaking worried glances at him now and then. “Well, I’ll go now. I have to go on stage.”

With that, Pei Huan turned and quickly headed toward the door, moving much faster than when he had entered.

“Wait, Pei Huan,” Qi Yanning lazily called out.

The original owner’s matters couldn’t be resolved in the short term, and he wasn’t in a hurry to solve them. But in the meantime…

It was easy enough to give this boy, the only one who had shown kindness to the original owner, a little opportunity.

Hearing Qi Yanning’s voice, Pei Huan immediately stood at attention and turned around.

Qi Yanning squinted and gave Pei Huan a once-over from head to toe.

Pei Huan, nervously tugging at the hem of his shirt, looked down at the floor, biting his lip in discomfort. He could feel Qi Yanning’s cold gaze sweeping over him.

What was A-Ning doing?

As soon as he sensed that the gaze had left him, Pei Huan lifted his head slightly, curious about what Qi Yanning was doing.

Qi Yanning quickly scanned the cluttered makeup table, picked up a small box of blush and a tube of lip tint, and walked over to him.

“Lift your head,” Qi Yanning ordered.

Pei Huan immediately raised his face, though his eyes remained fixed on the floor.

Qi Yanning dipped his finger into the blush and reached toward Pei Huan’s face.

The cool touch of the fingers under his eyes made Pei Huan flinch, and he instinctively pulled his face back. Before Qi Yanning could get annoyed, he quickly leaned his head forward again.

Qi Yanning paused for a moment, then lightened his touch as he applied the blush, layering it deeply and lightly under Pei Huan’s eyes and across his cheekbones. He then opened the lip tint and dabbed it on the center of Pei Huan’s full lower lip.

Next, he casually unbuttoned the top button of Pei Huan’s white shirt.

Stepping back, he took a moment to evaluate his work. Pei Huan stood there awkwardly, allowing himself to be scrutinized.

After a moment’s thought, Qi Yanning’s gaze swept the room. He spotted a black lace ribbon amidst the pile of accessories in a corner.

He tied it around Pei Huan’s arm.

The position was such that it wouldn’t be visible while he was still, but once he started dancing, the soft shirt would ride up, revealing the black lace on his pale arm.

A bewildered expression, coupled with the flushed blush under his eyes, the hint of collarbone peeking from the loose shirt, and the lace ribbon peeking out from his sleeve…

Qi Yanning nodded in satisfaction.

“Alright, off you go.”

Qi Yanning had done all of this near the door, so Pei Huan hadn’t had a chance to see what he looked like.

He was curious about his appearance but found Qi Yanning blocking his way.

“Aren’t you going? I can hear Luo Heng’s group’s music halfway through already,” Qi Yanning said with an eerie calm.

Pei Huan gasped—Luo Heng’s group was up next, which meant his group was about to go on!

“A-Ning, I’ll go now!” Pei Huan hurried off without a second thought.

He sprinted down the hallway and reached the backstage area just in time to join his teammates, who were already waiting.

“Sorry, sorry, I took too long!” Pei Huan bowed deeply to his teammates, who looked at him with mild annoyance.

Seeing him like that, their frustration quickly dissipated.

“Just catch your breath and get ready. Don’t let this happen again,” the team leader said with a sigh.

“Alright, I won’t,” Pei Huan replied seriously, lifting his head to meet the leader’s gaze.

“You…” The team leader, seeing Pei Huan’s face in the stage light, was stunned.

Pei Huan grew uneasy—was something wrong with his face?

Just as he was about to ask, the host announced, “Next up, we have the ‘Moonlight’ group!”

Pei Huan had no choice but to hold his question and follow his teammates on stage.

It was just a little blush and lip tint; it couldn’t look that bad, could it? Pei Huan thought nervously.

He stood in position, took a deep breath, and the lights came on.

He clearly heard the audience gasp in surprise.

“Whoa, who is that little beauty?!”